Lunch box



Sept. 18, 1956 A. c. SMITH ETAL LUNCH BOX Filed Dec. 18. 1955 INVENTOR.B0) 4. SM/TH ALMA C. SM/TH BY United States Patent LUNCH BOX Alma C.Smith and Roy L. Smith, Provo, Utah Application December 18, 1953,Serial No. 399,008

2 Claims. (Cl. 206-4) This invention relates to portable means forcarrying foods and liquids, and more especially to devices of the lunchbox type.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a lunch boxwith means affording entry thereto from at least two adjacent sidesthereof, whereby the box may be packed with facility and the contentsthereof positioned for easy subsequent removal. 7

Another object of this invention is to provide a lunch box withresilient means for supporting a Thermos bottle or other frangible typeof liquid container to guard against and to absorb impacts delivered tothe lunch box and thereby prevent and protect the bottle againstaccidental breakage.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for resilientlysupporting a Thermos bottle in a lunch box in a position adjacent to butspaced from the bottom and side Walls thereof.

A still further object of this invention is to provide locking means ina lunch box to prevent the accidental opening thereof.

Further and other objects of this invention will become apparent from aconsideration of the following specification when read in the light ofthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a lunch box constructed in accordancewith the teachings of this invention, the box being illustrated in itsclosed position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the lunch box of Figure 1, the lunchbox in this instance being illustrated in its open position; and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the vertical plane of line33 of Figure 1.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral 1designates, in general, a lunch box constructed according to theinvention. The lunch box 1 is elongated and substantially rectangular inconfiguration and comprises a back wall 2 integrally joined at each endthereof to a pair of opposed laterally extending end walls 3, and 4,respectively. A bottom wall 5 is integrally formed with and connected tothe lower ends of the back and end walls, 2, 3 and 4.

The open side of the lunch box 1 is partially closed by a fixed sidewall 6 which extends between the end walls 3, 4, and the box 1 isprovided with a partition wall 7 which connects with the lower end ofthe side wall 6 and extends transversely of the side wall 5 and endwalls 3 and 4 to divide the box into two compartments referred to ingeneral by reference numerals 8 and 9.

A cover comprises an elongated substantially rectangular front wall 10pivotally connected at 11 along its lower end to the marginal edge ofthe bottom wall 5 adjacent the open side of the lower compartment 9. Atop wall 12 extends laterally from the upper end of the front wall 10.As is clearly seen in the drawing, the front wall 10 and top Wall 12,when pivoted from their positions shown in Figure 2, serve as closuremembers forv the open sides of the compartments 8 and 9 (see Figure 1).

A peripheral flange 13 extends continuously around the opposed ends ofthe front wall 10, the top wall 12 and the free longitudinally extendingedge thereof for engagement with the adjacent marginal edges of theupper ends of the back wall 2, side walls 3, 4 and the vertical adjacentedges thereof.

A member having a base 14 and diverging arms 15 and 16 is secured byvivets 17 to the front wall 10, the member being formed of a resilientmaterial.

A pair of longitudinally spaced leaf springs 18 (only one being shownin'Figures 2 and 3) project laterally from the back wall 2 and into thelower chamber 9.

As seen in Figures 2 and 3, the diverging resilient arms 15 and 16 areadapted to engage a liquid container such as a Thermos bottle 19, shownin dotted lines, intermediate the ends thereof. With the Thermos bottlein the position shown in Figure 2, and upon subsequent movement of thefront and top walls 10 and 12, respec- 'tively, to the positions shownin Figure 2, the Thermos bottle 19 engages against the end thereof Whilethe free ends of the arms 15 and 16 flex and slide against the partitionWall 7 and bottom wall 5 respectively, whereby the Thermos bottle isresiliently supported within the compartment 9 in spaced relation withrespect to its adjacent back and front walls 2 and 10, and the bottomwall 5.

It should be noted at this point that in the event the cork, stopper orclosure member for the Thermos bottle work loose, of if for some otherreason the liquid escapes therefrom no damage will ensue to the foodpacked within the lunch box 1 since the same is positioned within theupper container above the Thermos bottle. Also, by having the Thermosbottle located in the bottom of the box the center of gravity of the boxis lower, resulting in making the box harder to tip over duringtransportation and reducing the hazard for bottle breakage.

A bail 20 is pivoted at 21 adjacent its termini to the opposed end walls3 and 4, the bail including an elongated concave central section 22which extends longitudinally over and in spaced relation to the top wall12 when the latter is moved to its closed position. The central section22 is adapted to nest in the concave base portion 23 of an invertedsubstantially U-shaped handle 24 having the ends thereof riveted at 25to the top wall 12. Thus the bail and the handle cooperate, when in thepositions shown in Figure l, to form lock means to prevent accidentalopening of the lunch box 1. The flange 13 is sprung over the upper edgeof the back wall 2 and serves as additional locking means.

The lunch box 1 may be constructed of any sufliciently rigid material,as of metal or plastic, and due to the simplicity of its structure, thesame may be produced inexpensively.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention indetail, it is to be understood that it is ofiered by way of example, andthat the present invention is to be limited only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lunch box, a body comprising a bottom wall, a back wall, and endwalls, and a front wall spaced upwardly from said bottom wall, apartition wall secured to and extending between said end walls andspaced upwardly from said bottom wall at the level of said front wall,said partition wall, said bottom wall, said end walls, and said sidewall defining a compartment having an open front, a cover comprising afront Wall having a lower end hinged to said bottom wall at the openfront of the compartment, said cover front wall having a rear PatentedSept. 18, 1956" side, a bottle holder comprising an element secured tothe rear side of the cover front wall, resilient divergent arms securedto and extending rearwardly from said element, the spread of said armsnormally being greater than the distance between said bottom wall andsaid partition wall, said cover being arranged to occupy an openposition wherein said cover front plate is angled away from the openfront of the compartment and said bottle .holder is withdrawn from saidcompartment to a closed position wherein said cover front plate ClOSesthe open front of the compartment and the bottle holder is positionedwithin said compartment with at least one of the holder arms compressedtoward the other holder arm by and slidably engaged with the partitionwall on the bottom wall.

2. In a lunch box, a body comprising a bottom wall, a back wall, and endwalls, and a front Wall spaced upwardly from said. bottom wall, apartition wall secured to and extending between said :end walls andspaced upwardly from said bottom wall at the level of said front wall,said partition wall, said bottom wall, said end Walls, and said sideWall defining a compartment having an open front, a cover comprising afront wall having a lower end hinged to said bottom wall at the openfront of the secured to and extending rearwardly from said element, thespread of said arms normally being greater than the distance betweensaid 'bottom wall and said partition wall, said cover being arranged tooccupy an open position wherein said cover front plate is angled awayfrom the open front of the compartment and said bottle holder iswithdrawn from said compartment to a closed position wherein said coverfront plate closes the open front of the compartment and the bottleholder is positioned within said compartment with at least one of theholder arms compressed toward the other holder arm by and slidablyengaged with the partition wall on the bottom wall, and a compressiblemember mounted on said back wall within said compartment and positionedbetween said holder arms in the-closed position of the cover.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS206,287 Will July 23, 1878 373,433 Bord Nov. 22, 1887 1,058,068 LambApr. 8, 1913 1,194,466 Berg Aug. 15, 1916 1,238,074 Labadie Aug. 21,1917 1,515,638 Wason Nov. 1-8, 1924 2,013,852 Odendahl Sept. 10, 19352,046,244 Carner June 30, 1936 2,102,433 Nevins Dec. 14, 1937

